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My blog will share creative ideas to raise standards across the curriculum using technology. Mr P provides inset, keynotes and training to schools internationally looking for innovative ideas to engage, inspire and transform learning. Training is delivered by a real teacher with real ideas for using tech to enhance learning across the curriculum. For more info please email davyhulme.ipad@gmail.com.

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Starting our blogging with a BANG!

So a new school year and while I have started my very exciting venture as a part time consultant, I have also started back at school! Even though I am only working in school for 3 days a week I want to make the most of the time I have with the children. This year, I really want to focus on embedding blogging alongside learning in the classroom especially with using iPads. Blogging is the perfect platform to showcase work produced in the classroom, in particular work produced on iPads (animations, podcasts, films etc.) Last year, I saw snippets of how effective blogging can be and the impact this can have on children's learning. Some examples of this can be found here and here. For information on how blogging has impacted on writing follow @DeputyMitchell.

In my quest to find a topic that I want to ignite the children's passion to write and share work through the school blog, I watched a very moving and interesting film over the summer called Blackfish. The documentary exposes the dreadful life of Killer Whales in captivity. Although I don't feel the film is appropriate for children to watch and have emphasised this point with them (some scenes of the whales attacking trainers etc.) The message that it portrays, however, is one I wanted to share with the class. I wanted to use a real life issue to inspire writing and this is one that the film has really brought into the public eye.

I wanted to start this topic with a 'BANG!' and create something that would grab people's attention. So I discussed with the children about creating an awareness video. I thought it would be something that would bring a lot of traffic to the blog, hence show the children the audience for their writing that would follow over the next couple of weeks. I also wanted to involve the children in this process and let them decide on how our video should look.

After the children had researched some of the effects captivity has on whales we noted them to use in our video. We discussed how to present our video to get the biggest reaction from the audience. We knew that people wouldn't let it happen to children but were happy to let it happen to these beautiful animals and that was something we wanted to bring out in the video.

We then looked at other features such as video effects and emotive music to support our message. What we hope for now is that the video is seen by as many people as possible and see our message. In turn, the children will realise the power blogging can have to share a message and give them the power to express themselves.

So please share, tweet, pin, like, link, Google+ do whatever you can to help share this message and inspire the children to write with a real purpose for a real audience.

Imagine my surprise when I then received this message from Gabriela Cowperthwaite, the director of the film Blackfish.

I am so excited to share this with the class and the other comments from the YouTube video and the class blog. Some other awareness websites have even wrote about it - SeattlePI, Ecorazzi and Orca Aware.

UPDATED - 12/09/2013

So after a week of amazing messages about our video, the children were simply gobsmacked at how many people had visited the blog and left comments, they were so inspired to see how global the video had gone! Within the week I had managed to arrange an interview with an ex Seaworld trainer and star of Blackfish, Samantha Berg. The children were so excited to speak to her and prepared a range of questions to ask. We used Google Hangout to connect which live streams the talk to YouTube and saves it as a video. Here is our Q&A session:

It was such an inspiring session for the children who revelled in the opportunity to ask and learn from an expert and someone who has worked with and now supports the movement to end captivity for these animals. I have to say a MASSIVE thank you to Sam who woke up early (5am) to speak to us. But it has definitely had a impact as the children are already busy blogging away about what they have learnt on this topic. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE read and comment on the children's work to help encourage their writing - http://davyhulmeyear5.primaryblogger.co.uk/category/whale-project/

We are hoping to organise another hangout with Sam, Gabriela Cowperthwaite the director of Blackfish and another trainer, Jeffrey Ventre. I want the children to continue to write about this topic knowing that they will be able to share their work with these experts!

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Comments

thank you so much for this very moving video, and for taking the time to learn about and then to inform/educate people about the horrors of captivity﻿ for these magnificent animals. you are all an inspiration!!! i will share on twitter, FB and will follow your blog! @carolray_wa

Hey :) I live in the UK and have been concerned about Killer Whales in captivity for a looong time. The superb documentary Blackfish and the recent book Death at SeaWorld by David Kirby have really started to change peoples attitude to this issue. I am really happy to see young bloggers talking about it, as it gives me hope that we can finally do the things we need to. Thank you so much for caring :)

This is fantastic! If only we had an amazing teacher like Mr P! I hope other children will see your video and choose not to visit Marine Parks. Hopefully we can see an end to exploitation of orcas in the future.

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